Since the SDGs have been adopted, the focus of the policy, civil society and academic debate is on how to implement ‘the SDGs’. However, if there are inherent contradictions, it will be impossible to implement all goals, and a choice has to be made. This paper analyses the SDGs regarding their coherence and its impacts on their implementation. It does so by using the DPSIR heuristic looking at driving forces, pressures, states, impacts and responses of sustainability challenges. The opportunities for success are assessed by a closer look at the agency mentioned in the SDG–Agenda 2030 text. The SDGs are found to be weak on agency, with limited obligations to governments and none to business or consumers. They focus on state and impact, neglecting the pressures and supporting counterproductive drivers. In conclusion, either the positive targets will not be realized, or the means of implementation must be upgraded significantly. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment